For those not familiar with the MLS Cup playoff format, the top five teams in each conference make the playoffs.

Fourth place hosts fifth place in a one-game wild card playoff with the winner playing the top seed in a two-leg semifinal while second will play third also in a two-leg playoff. The two-leg playoff rounds will feature home games at both stadiums and whoever has the highest combined score will advance. The lower seed will host the first game while the higher seed will host the second match.

The winners of the semifinals will play each other in a two-leg conference final and the winners of the conference finals will play in the one-game MLS Cup played at the home of the remaining team with the most points earned in the regular season.

Just two weekends remain in the MLS regular season. Can you believe it? FC Dallas clinched the playoffs with last week's heart-stopping win over Los Angeles and now they turn their sights to earning the #3 seed which would ensure not having to play in the 4th vs 5th wild card game. Here's the playoff breakdown:

The Sounders surprisingly fell to Vancouver at home, a result that puts their Supporters Shield aspirations very much in doubt. They end the season with back-to-back games against LA and will clinch the Shield with a win in either match.

The Galaxy lost their first game of the season after scoring first in a 2-1 loss at FCD on Sunday. It was really a missed opportunity with Seattle having lost earlier in the weekend. They'll host the Sounders on Sunday and need four points from their two games against Seattle to clinch the Shield.

Jeff Cassar's side stopped a slide with a much-needed win against San Jose at home on Saturday. They've got a tricky test at Portland on Friday night and need a win to keep off hard-charging FCD and stay in control of their own destiny in the race for the third seed.

FC Dallas got a huge win against Los Angeles that took a ton of pressure off Oscar Pareja's side. They need one point to clinch a home playoff game and could leapfrog RSL for the third spot, though they'll need to ensure three points against a Colorado team that hasn't won since July. **NOTE** The first tiebreaker is wins and FC Dallas currently has one more than RSL with 15, so a tie in the standings would see FCD jump RSL.

The Whitecaps scored another hugely impressive result winning at Seattle last weekend to stay above Portland for the final playoff spot. The Whitecaps have their toughest test left on Saturday with a tricky trip to San Jose. Two wins from their final two will ensure a playoff spot for Carl Robinson's side.

Caleb Porter's men easily dispatched San Jose 3-0 to keep pace with Vancouver for the final playoff spot. They have a tough test against RSL on Friday before finishing the season at FC Dallas. Things look pretty difficult for the Timbers when you compare schedules between the two sides but Porter's side has shown amazing resiliency.

FCD PLAYOFF SCENARIOS:

FC Dallas will clinch a home playoff game if:

-Vancouver fails to defeat San Jose

-FC Dallas wins or draws at Colorado

IF THE SEASON ENDED TODAY:

If there were no games left and we were looking forward to the start of the playoffs, here are the current matchups:

Defender Matt Hedges earned his team-leading fifth nomination of the season while Andres Escobar earned his second nomination of 2014 after playing a huge part in both goals. In all, FCD has has 13 players named to the MLSsoccer.com Team of the Week this season.

M: Andres Escobar (FC Dallas) – The Colombian winger enjoyed a superb evening in a crucial match for FC Dallas, and he couldn't have picked a better night for a coming out party. Influential on both goals in FCD's 2-0 victory over the Galaxy.

After nearly three weeks, FC Dallas is finally back home on Sunday as we host th eLA Galaxy in one of the biggest regular season games at Toyota Stadium in quite some time. Here are 10 things to know about Sunday's big match:

1. Sunday's match is set for a 6:00PM kickoff and is presented by WinStar World Casino & Resorts. You'll definitely want to head to Lamar's Tailgate on the north concourse to check out their huge tent with lots of great giveaways.

2. Speaking of Lamar's Tailgate, we're excited to have team captain Maylee Johnson and the Trinidad & Tobago Women's National Team as our honorary LH Statue scarfer right around 5:30pm.

3. You're going to want to head over to the east parking lot of the stadium before heading inside Toyota Stadium on Sunday as the Budweiser Brewmaster Tour will be outside. There's free beer. Do I need to say more?

4. There is a TON on the line as FC Dallas clinches a 2014 MLS Cup Playoff spot with a win while the LA Galaxy can move to the top of MLS with at least a draw. Check out the full MLS standings to see just how big this late-season showdown is.

5. While parking is always free for everyone at Toyota Stadium, our Toyota drivers out there can enjoy FREE upgraded parking in the Camry Gold Lot tonight. The Camry Gold Lot is directly NW of the stadium adjacent to the Dr. Pink fieldf

6. This will be Landon Donovan's final MLS regular season match at Toyota Stadium so be in your seat early tonight as we'll have a special presentation before kickoff.

7. The forecast for Sunday's match is pretty much perfect. A high of 80 is expected for this one with temperatures probably right around 75 at kickoff. No rain is expected until well after midnight.

9. If you're one of the poor souls who can't make it out to the game, Sunday's match will be live nationally on ESPN2 with a 6:10PM kickoff. Additionally, the game will be on 100.7FM(English) & 1270AM(Spanish)